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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 16, 2024·
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is a more budget-friendly option that offers decent performance for everyday tasks like browsing, document editing, and media consumption, with the added benefit of being lightweight and having good battery life, making it highly portable. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is a premium laptop designed for high-end gaming and heavy computational tasks, with a robust build, powerful hardware for demanding applications and games, and features like a high-refresh-rate screen that contribute to a premium experience. However, it is heavier and may not have as long battery life, which can affect portability. If you prioritize affordability and portability for lighter workloads, the ASUS is a suitable choice, whereas if you need top-notch performance for gaming or demanding software and don't mind spending more, the Dell Alienware would be the preferred choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook Go 12
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m15 R7
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6
7.5
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is less suitable for general use due to its lower-quality CPU, minimal RAM, inferior screen, and less robust storage capacity, making it lag in performance and multitasking capabilities. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a powerful CPU, ample RAM, a high-resolution screen, and considerable storage, ensuring smooth operation and a more enjoyable multimedia experience, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life than the ASUS.
Gaming and AI
5.4
7.8
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
5.3
8.2
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has less RAM and a less powerful CPU and GPU compared to the Dell Alienware m15 R7, making the latter better suited for demanding engineering and design tasks which require higher performance and better screen quality. While the Vivobook boasts excellent portability and quieter operation, the Alienware offers a significantly better keyboard, display, and speaker quality, all of which contribute to a more effective and enjoyable experience for engineering and design professionals.
Content Creation
5.7
7.5
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
5.7
7.3
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
5.1
8.2
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 likely has a lower resolution and dimmer display, making it unsuitable for activities where clear, sharp visuals are important, which includes general use and detail-oriented work in engineering and design. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 probably offers a higher-resolution, brighter display with better color reproduction, enhancing the experience for general use and making it ideal for color-sensitive engineering and design tasks. However, for 3D applications and gaming where high refresh rates are crucial, both laptops seem to fall short, though the Dell might still perform moderately well due to its probable superior resolution and panel quality.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has 10 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Excellent
Fair
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$267
$2,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a price of $267 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs $2,200.
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How the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Vivobook Go 12 | Dell Alienware m15 R7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$267 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.67'' | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.31 lbs | 5.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 10.98" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.52" | 10.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4020 | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 64 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 38 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 11.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.1/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 5.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 480p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m15 R7
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | October 2022
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 or the Dell Alienware m15 R7
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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